Greg Hollingsworth

The assassination of Dr. George Tiller, one of the few remaining physicisans in the US who would perform late-term abortions, is a tragedy to be sure, for his family, his friends, his church (ironically where he was gunned down) and many others. However, it certainly doesn't seem to be an issue for Dave Leach, the editor of Prayer and Action News, an anti-abortion newsletter run (much to my consternation) out of the capital city of my home-state of Iowa.

"Commenting on Dr. Tiller’s death, Mr. Leach said, 'To call this a crime is too simplistic.' He added, 'There is Christian scripture that would support this." - The New York Times

Well, Mr. Leach, is it too simplistic to say that the Judeo-Christian tradition is formed around 10 simple rules, one of which just happens to be "Thou Shalt not Kill" (or murder depending on the translation)? For Dave Leach to imply that this is not a crime, but somehow the act of a righteous martyr is in itself particularly heinous. Might I remind Mr. Leach that many of the terrorists that we are so often consumed with can quote scripture to support their actions?

Regardless of Mr. Leach's feelings on the matter, there is one simple fact that he seems to have overlooked, Christian scripture is not the law in the United States of America. The US Code holds murder to be a crime. And let us not forget that the "in defense of the unborn" defense holds about as much weight as the much maligned "Twinkie Defense" used by Dan White in his trial for the assassination of San Francisco Councilman Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1978.

While the right of a woman to have an abortion is certainly a hot button issue in this country, it is not now and has never been a justification for murder. The token outpouring of sympathy for the family of George Tiller is saddening to me. How far have those who oppose abortion on religious grounds come that they have forgotten the most enduring (and commonly accepted) tenets of their "savior". The golden rule has apparently been abandoned in the name of righteous murder, at least by those who would prefer to see men killed, than to see the law (that they so eagerly claim as the extension of our founders religious beliefs) upheld when it doesn't fit their personal views.

Now, before I am accused of painting with a broad brush, there are plenty of pro-life organizations that are every bit as outraged by this murder as their pro-choice opposites:

“Operation Rescue has worked tirelessly on peaceful, nonviolent measures to bring him to justice through the legal system, the legislative system,” Mr. [Troy] Newman said, adding, “We are pro-life, and this act was antithetical to what we believe.” - The New York Times

Mr. Newman, the President of Operation Rescue, is certainly not alone, as I know that the vast majority of pro-life folks in this country would certainly don't condone murder as a solution to the tricky issue that is abortion. Unfortunately for Mr. Newman, Randall Terry (the founder of Operation Rescue) seems to disagree:

Antiabortion activist Randall Terry today added fuel to the debate over the killing yesterday of a prominent Kansas late-term abortion provider, saying George R. Tiller "was a mass murderer and, horrifically, he reaped what he sowed." "I grieve for Dr. Tiller because he left this life, perhaps without proper preparation to face God," Terry said. "The thought of him leaving this life with blood on his hands for having killed so many thousands of children and not having been prepared to meet his maker is a dreadful, terrifying thought." - The Washington Post

Mr. Terry seems to have made at least one very succinct observation, the Pro-Life movement is definitely at a crossroads, with supporters left to choose between non-violent protest and a continuing legal battle or self-righteous vigilantism.  Let us hope, at least for the sake of those who support the freedom of a woman to make private medical choices without governmental intereference that they choose the former as opposed to the latter.